Chuck & Katrina
Forum Replies Created
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Inverter breakers?
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
My 97 and my 06 took 5 gallons. Extra volume really helps with cooling.
The key to towing apart from cooling issues is low tongue weight. Towing forces in a straight line back are easily handled. A typical tow bar puts little more than the weight of the bar on the bus hitch since it pivots at both ends. A trailer does not pivot up and down so what ever weight sits on the bus hitch is what it carries on smooth roads. But that is not a static weight.
We all have driven over the whoopdee type road irregularities that bottom the front suspension and the air seat so as the rear of the bus is thrust upward as the steer axle does when the rear suspension is bottomed out the increase in weight on the hitch ramps up to a considerable degree. The bus hitch is cantilevered from the structure carrying the rear axles so the weight of the engine and transmission is hanging out there like a 10 pound weight in your hand with your arm extended.
To add support Prevost extends some stressed members down and to the rear from the upper bus structure. Keep in mind however that structure was only intended to carry the engine to an extent so adding an increased percentage of weight exposes those welds and members to far more weight than a bus is expected to carry.
A trailer, especially a heavy one needs tongue weight for stability otherwise it becomes the tail wagging the dog so addressing the structural issue becomes complex and if by now with all other factors not an issue, such as cooling, Prevost can certainly do a redesign but it is a cost versus rewards problem. Add in the difficulty cooling an 8V92 in perfect condition but with a much greater heat load it does not seem ideal.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Thanks Jerry!
I will look into the SCI wheel.
Quick follow up:
SCI has a prevost hub : part # 835 for the 800 series wheels.
https://steeringcreations.com/835/
It would be nice to swap out the 21″ wheel for something smaller to reduce driver fatigue and feel less like a transit bus driver
Thanks
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Thanks for the detail.
It looks great!
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
What’s going on with Tom the lifeline guy haven’t heard from him for a while? Is he OK? It was always Jon and Tom
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
32 batteries at $985 each? Am I reading that correctly?
You’re getting lots of good advice from many who have been there and done that. I haven’t. Everytime I think I should school myself on Lithium batteries for the four 8D Lifeline AGM battery package in our 1999 Liberty Elegant Lady XL45 (24 volt coach) … I read Jon’s cautions about moving to Lithium.
That said … you might want to reach out to Inverter Service Center in Whitehouse Tennessee. They seem to do lots of this stuff.
I am envious of you helping someone else freely spend their money. One of the most unanticipated joys of buying a Prevost was joining the Prevost Community Forum and helping other people spend their money. It’s so much fun!
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Chuck,
you could easily use 2 banks of 3 12v 4Ds to give you the 36v and possibly ample amps. I had a similar situation with my 60′ a few years back. I also was considering Li, but after reviewing the cost, modifications I would need to make, adjustments to the ballast, and length of time I was planning to keep her, I decided against it and just installed 6 4D AGMs. It was quick and easy and only required minor adjustment to my racking and fab up some battery cables. If I was planning to keep her 10 more years I may have thought differently, but sold her 2 years ago.
Alex
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
No alternator connected to the house battery bank, boats generator or shore power provides power to the chargers that in turn charge the battery bank.
Just found out replacing the 32, two volt AGM battery’s will take a 4 month lead time to build and at a cost of $985 each.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
This is not a popular “rule” but when replacing batteries two things need to be kept in mind. Only replace batteries in sets. Mixing new with old adversely impacts them all. When replacing batteries try to insure all batteries are of the same age.
One bad battery in a group can create all sorts of erroneous signs of problems, and in the end the savings just are not worth it.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
During my often and lengthy, sometimes contentious conversations up the food chain at Chrysler I asked how a company that owned an extremely large percentage of the towed vehicles market could be so dumb as to piss off their RV customers.
Not a single one admitted or realized how complex and difficult it was to get a GC ready for towing, or worse, get the software changed to simplify switching from tow mode to drive mode.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
In my case, prior to the software change I had no power steering for up to 45 minutes after going into driving mode from tow mode.
That entire issue is as complicated as the debates about covid vaccines with strong opinions on both sides of the issue. Some GC owners never had the death wobble so they never installed the kit to keep the power steering active, while others needed the kit. Chrysler did not help because customer service was clueless, as was the technical support Chrysler provided dealers. In fact three years after one GC owner had such severe “death wobble” it damaged the hitch on the RV and the suspension on his GC Chrysler was still denying it could happen.
I went a long way up the Chrysler food chain and finally got an executive that sat still long enough to understand how we tow, why we need power steering immediately after towing, and how we follow a procedure to hook and unhook. He had the horsepower to force the software change.
I do not know if later year GCs than my 2021 need a kit to keep the power steering active or if there are any issues with restoring it after towing, but I do know the dealers are clueless as are the people in customer service.so asking for information from them is useless.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
That is how i bid also Art. I always have a max dollar amount in my mind, and i swoop in with seconds to spare. No need to drive the price up with a bidding war.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
This is what i did front and rear.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
There’s different types of bamboo I believe but totally get what your saying. Maybe teak or something else as they put that on boats. I’m wanting real hardwood and could seal it too if needed.
Don’t like the look of Vinyl or anything fake. I have vinyl now and planning on just placing on top for an additional layer.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL